“The aggravating feature of this case is not only the abuse of the children who were photographed, but that you have done it before."

Emmalyne Downing, defending, said that the SOPO restricted his use of the Internet and prevented him from taking or downloading photographs of children.

But police found that his internet user address had been involved in the obtaining of child porn and a search warrant was carried out at his address in January last year).

Interviewed at the time, he said he lived on his own, no one else had access to his house, he had no knowledge of indecent images and he said he had not committed any offences. No illegal images would be discovered on his computer equipment, he said.

When 269 images were found and search terms such as “Lolita” and “young models” were discovered, he was re-interviewed in February of this year – but made no comment.

File sharing and file wiping software was found but there was no evidence that items had been shared or stored elsewhere.

Neil Gunn, defending, said that his client was an intelligent man who was the first to admit that such activity was wholly inappropriate.

Seeking to view such images was abhorrent, he conceded.

“He fails to understand how he could allow himself to be placed in this position,” Mr Gunn explained.

Mr Gunn said that in every other way the defendant was an upstanding member of the community.

He had spent years in the RAF and had worked at various professions including a prison officer.

The offences had been committed in isolation which was a feature of his difficulties.